The Power of Love

Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Mark 12:28-34, by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
November 15, 2015
Stewardship Commitment Sunday


4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 6: 4-9


Last week we talked about Christ’s commandment to love one another in truth and action. The Scriptures revealed that love is a verb. This week we look at the power of loving God and neighbor and its impact upon our lives.

Mark describes that the kingdom of God is most revealed when we live out our core belief to love God and neighbor. To devote ourselves to God and to be an agent of God’s transforming love is to see the power of God at work among us. This core belief is our guiding compass to be stewards of God’s love. Mark gives us a sense of urgency to follow our Teacher, Lord, and Savior in the greatest commandment.

Listen for the Spirit’s encouragement in Mark 12: 28-34.

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that [Jesus] answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbor as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Jim Noble had a vision for loving God and neighbor. His faith created a sense of urgency to follow it through. The past five years his vision has been impacting one of our nearby communities in a powerful way. Noble is a pastor and the owner and head chef of a local Charlotte restaurant called The King’s Kitchen. It is on the corner of West Trade Street and Church Street in uptown Charlotte. This year it was chosen as one of the top four restaurants in America for community change. I was particularly moved by their story.

The mission of King’s Kitchen is to love God and neighbor by “feeding the spiritual and physical needs of the least” in the community. It is a nonprofit restaurant that indeed operates as a ministry. Their financial gains are used to help the poor in the immediate Charlotte community.

The restaurant’s ministry is grounded in a Restoration Program that benefits neighbors who need a second chance in breaking the cycle of addiction, poverty, or homelessness. The program does this in practical and holistic ways. The Restoration Program is a year-long commitment. It entails a Bible study (5 days a week), on-the-job training, leadership classes, social skills training, and financial management training.

One of the participants in the Restoration Program is named Ronnie. Ronnie’s life has been significantly changed by the ministry of King’s Kitchen. He is a survivor of Hurricane Katrina where he lost everything. He relocated to Charlotte seeking refuge and got caught in a downward spiral. He has been homeless for over a year.

When Ronnie connected with the Restoration Program, Noble asked Ronnie to give God one year because that devotion to God would change his life. Ronnie did just that. Something amazing happened to Ronnie just after being in the weekly Bible study for five months and participating in the Restoration Program for one month. With tears in his eyes, Ronnie pointed upwards to God and said “King’s Kitchen has been an amazing thing.” He said, “As of today I have been homeless for one year and a month. After I leave this interview today I am going to get my own place.”

The power of loving God and neighbor has meant so much to Jim Noble as well. He is most impacted by “walking alongside others with the love of Christ, particularly with people that many will not even look in the eyes.”

We find ourselves in the next chapter of ministry – a time such as this - to be inspired by the vision of living out God’s love. We have an opportunity to consider how we will be stewards of God’s commandment to love. God has inscribed the great commandment upon the foundation of this church of which we continue to spiritually build upon. God has also inscribed the great commandment upon our hearts. When we spiritually center ourselves to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves, then great things happen in the name of Christ.

I love stewardship season. It gives us pause to consider the all that God has done this past year and how we have been guided by God’s faithfulness. It is a space to say thank you God! It is a space that gives us pause to look forward and imagine this upcoming year of 2016 and what God might be up to next. We look inward to put God first this year and focus on growing deeper roots of faith. And then we look outward to impact the community in the power of God’s love.

Together we are continuing to learn about the needs of our immediate community. Not only are we getting to know our existing neighbors more, but the Van Wyck community is growing. We want to be spiritually prepared to extend God’s hospitality in meaningful ways to those who are already a part of our community and those who are not here yet. In order to do that we need to go back to the core of our faith.

It is now more important than ever for us focus on our love of God and neighbor. The brokenness of the world weighs upon our hearts. There is a growing movement for people of faith to roll up their sleeves and work towards making a difference in the community and world in the name of Christ. Being the body of Christ fosters genuine community. So many of us are craving authentic community. Loving God and neighbor is greater than any ritual we might do inside the walls of the church. It takes us out into the world to see Christ in the eyes of another.

Loving God and neighbor means praying for the Spirit to lead us by the compass of God’s Word. It means praying for meaningful ways to come alongside our neighbors to get to know them and their stories. It means to extend God’s love in holistic ways that are life-giving. It means to recognize that we are connected to one another as children of God. God’s love tethers us to a shared responsibility towards each other.

There is nothing more impactful in life than to walk alongside others in the love of Christ. It is the core of our belief and being. It is the way of being stewards of God’s transforming love. When we live into God’s vision of love then we sense we are not far from the kingdom of God.

Thomas Merton once said, “The kingdom of God is not the kingdom of those who merely preach a doctrine or follow certain religious practices. It is a kingdom of those who love.”

I want for you to prayerfully imagine this next chapter of ministry with me. It will take time and it will take the dedication of us all. God has given all of us gifts to share whether we are children, youth, or adults (big kids). Let’s be inspired by those who are participating in ministries that are changing lives. Let’s be stewards of God’s grace. Risk trusting God a little more this year and let’s devote ourselves to love God and neighbor. See God’s faithfulness do amazing things through our prayers and the sharing of our time, talents, and treasures. Let’s be the church with a big heart. Let’s be the church where others recognize the power of love.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.